A Placement Agent is an intermediary firm that raises capital for private equity and venture capital funds. Placement agents connect PE/VC fund managers with prospective investors through extensive business networks and marketing efforts. They identify suitable investors whose investment goals align with the strategy and sector focuses of the PE/VC fund. Placement agents arrange introductions, conduct pitching presentations, provide information on the fund's terms and strategy, negotiate conditions and facilitate the legal process of committing capital. Placement agents minimize fundraising efforts for PE/VC fund managers and streamline securing investor commitments. Leading global placement agent firms include UBS, Credit Suisse, Lazard and Campbell Lutyens.
he third edition of 0100 International — organized by Zero One Hundred Conferences in partnership with the Milan City Council’s Department of Economic Development and Milano&Partners — brought together the global private markets community for a high-signal, execution-focused gathering held from October 27–29.
François Candelon, Partner for Value Creation & Portfolio Monitoring at Seven2, shares how the firm aligns every investment around a clear “exit animal”—a vision of the company at exit—and uses disciplined execution, AI-driven transformation, and sustainability as levers for resilience and premium valuations. From reengineering core processes with AI to embedding decarbonization into business strategy, Candelon explains how Seven2 builds companies that are not just exit-ready, but future-proof.
Private markets are entering a new era where trust, compliance, and technology converge. While public markets enjoy automation and transparency, private assets still depend on paper-based, fragmented systems. Antonio Chiarello, CEO of Weltix, argues that the next leap forward is not just digitization, but the creation of digital infrastructures that redefine ownership. In this conversation, he discusses why friction is structural rather than technological, how regulation enables innovation, and how programmable liquidity and transparency can channel more private capital into real economic growth.
